Lily and Daddy
by catch me if u can
Summary: Harry has a wonderful family, and a fufilling life.  Sometimes, though, the past gets the better of him and he needs someone to pull him back. The touching story of a little girl and wife who will do anything for daddy. Read and Review Please


They could always be seen together on a Tuesday evening, just as the sun was beginning to set painting the mountains and castle the most brilliant shade of lilac. They would walk to Honeydukes together. Sometimes hand in hand, sometimes in a line, or even scattered about the road, but always, no matter what, together. Tonight they were together in a bunch. James the rowdy seven year old was in the lead with Harry and Ginny holding hands close behind. The twins, Molly and Ginny, trailed behind kicking stones as they slowly dawdled along.

"Daddy, Daddy" yelled Lily.

"Yes my Lily flower?"

"Piggy back, piggy back!"

Harry scooped up his youngest daughter with flaming red hair and striking green eyes that stood out from the time she was born, five years ago.

"Me too, me too!" shouted Molly.

"You too, you too," Mocked Ginny as she threw the raven haired girl onto her back.

"Look James, we've got rides," proclaimed Lily, sticking her tongue out at her older brother.

"Well, _I'm_ a big boy, I don't need a ride. The last one to Honeydukes is a rotten dragon egg!" and with that he took off at a run.

"Put me down!" screamed Lily, clambering off her fathers back. She tore off up the road after James.

"Me too," said Molly, waiting for her mother to set her down. She ran and ran but try as she might she could not catch up with her siblings. James reached the shop first closely followed by Lily and finally Molly.

"You're the rotten dragon egg," taunted James.

"Not uh, Mommy and Daddy are," Molly fought back pointing at their parents still on the street.

All of a sudden Ginny broke out into a sprint, Harry quickly tried to follow her but it was too late.

"Daddy's the rotten egg!" they all chanted.

"Yes, yes, yes," he said between gasps, "you all beat me."

"Daddy did you see?" exclaimed Lily. "I almost beat James!"

"I did see, flower! Give Daddy a high five, my little seeker!"

They entered the candy shop and the children, Harry included began to roam the store to find the one candy that they wanted most. James went straight for Licorice Wands, while the girls loved candy they could share and they stood by a display of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, shaking the packs to see if they could catch sight of a peach sundae bean. Harry clutched a chocolate frog in his hand as he made his was over to his children.

As Ginny stood watching her handsome family Georgette Watson entered the shop. Georgette was well known by the locals in the town of Hogsmade. She was the classy old woman who lived in the large house on the hill and looked out over the town and everybody in it.

"Oh dear," she exclaimed upon spying the Potters, "I hadn't even realized that it was a Tuesday." Her smile implied more. "I was shopping for my husbands favorite sweets. It's his birthday tomorrow you know. He'll be seventy-eight the old bat." She laughed fiendishly.

"Oh be sure to wish him a warm birthday greeting from the Potters."

"Of course I will now dear, but how is your husband getting along, Harry?"

"Oh he's just fine. He has his off days but then again who doesn't?" Ginny replied with a chuckle.

"Well, from what I hear," she dropped her voice to a hoarse whisper, "his off days are a little more off then most, eh?"

"Well I think he has more of a reason to be then most." She exclaimed. "Eh?" she added cockily.

"Well then," stammered the old woman, surely she had never been spoken to like this before, "I suppose he does," she said stuffily. She turned quickly and walked away having noticed Harry listening over his wife's shoulder.

Ginny whipped around to find her family all holding their newly purchased candy in silence. Harry stood stick straight with that distant look in his eye that Ginny knew all too well.

After Voldemort's downfall, the journey, and everything Harry had been though, he had returned to his normal self, except for one thing. At times he would become horribly depressed, traumatized by the events. Ron and Hermione suspected that it was a lasting side effect of wearing the necklace as they sometimes experienced short pangs of depression and random times. For Harry, it would happen anytime and anywhere but most frequently when someone made a remark about him. He would then question his character and moral being until he sank into his hole becoming socially moribund.

"Come now children," cooed Ginny placing an encouraging hand being James to push them along, "Mrs. Watson has made Daddy _upset_." Upset was the code name for the depression. They left the store without complaint and without begging for another candy. Ginny took hold of Harry's hand and led him down the street. It was at these times that he knew he trusted her completely. It was one of the only things he could hold onto. He trusted her to lead him, to comfort him, to be with him, to make things better. They walked home, to the edge of Hogsmade, in silence. When they got home she led Harry to the living room and then bent down in front of the children.

"How about you spend the night at Grandma's house? Won't that be fun?"

All three nodded wordlessly and Molly and James set off up the stairs to pack their bags. But the bold Lily Sirius Potter walked into the sitting room and stood next to her father, who sat on the couch. She climbed up and took his large rough hand in her tiny soft hand and squeezed. She looked up into his blazing green eyes, that were so like hers.

"Look Daddy," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his. "They still fit." She squeezed again. "I love you Daddy," she cooed quietly standing on the sofa. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek and hopped down and ran past her mother, standing in the door frame, to go pack.

Ginny remained where she was until Harry looked up and smiled.

"She always does it for me…. every time."

There was still a long way to go but no one could break the bond between Lily and Daddy."


End file.
